The Black Road
by Vergil Creiger
Summary: White Warrior. Black Apostle. Red Dragon. Blue Demon. The End Starts Now. Ise/Harem, obviously.
1. One Crazy Hobo

Rias Gremory was as close to perfect as a person could get. Even she had to admit it.

For starters, she was beautiful. Her features were soft yet refined, with high cheekbones and an aristocratic nose. Long, luxuriant lashes caressed a face that forever smiled, somehow looking aloof and well bred yet warm and kind at the same time. Flawless white skin, pink rosebud lips and sparkling blue eyes betrayed that she was foreign to Japan, if her fantastic figure were not clue enough. Her body was soft and curvaceous, with long legs, large breasts, a slim waist and round hips. Her most striking feature, however, was her hair, a glorious river of burning crimson that she let hang to her waist.

Rias was gorgeous, she was extremely intelligent and very, very rich. If you were to ask her, or anyone close to her, to think of something they disliked about her they would be hard pressed to come up with anything concrete. She was the elite of the elite, the best society had to offer and a real life princess. So it really wasn't an exaggeration to say that she was, almost literally, worlds apart from the man she eventually married.

The first time she ever laid eyes on him she didn't even realize she was looking at a human being. It was the weekend, and Rias had gone shopping for one reason or another. At some point between entering the shop and leaving it, someone had dumped what could most accurately be called a heap of crap in the middle of the pavement. It could have been dirty rags, rotten food or perhaps simply an enormous tangled knot of greasy human hair. It was hard to say.

Whatever it was it smelled disgusting, and was leaking a foul, brown, viscous fluid onto the pavement. It was dark green in color, partly due to decomposition and partly due to some sort of odd fungi that was growing on it in various places. This was not to say the heap had mushrooms sprouting out of it, but rather a particularly furry kind of moss, the sort you get on bread or cake if you leave it in a warm place for too long.

Rias did what any sane person would have done. She turned her nose up and went home. If she had stayed a bit longer, she would have seen four crows land around the decaying lump and peck curiously at its edges. If she had stayed longer still she would have seen a limb of some sort, probably an arm, reach out from the unidentified mass and wave the pests away, before being tucked comfortably back into its side.

Over the next week, Rias did the things an eighteen year old girl is expected to do. She went to school, chatted with her minions and bought outrageously priced Japanese merchandise over the internet. The following weekend she went shopping again, this time with her friend Akeno Himejima. Akeno was as beautiful as she was, though her beauty was more robust, sexualized and mature, something Rias was secretly jealous of. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her eyes were a vibrant purple.

The two of them were walking down the street when Rias spotted the same pile of garbage, which had moved to slump against a wall next to a family restaurant. Though it had rained a few days previous, the heap was no longer dripping dubious liquids onto the ground and had dried sufficiently that it didn't smell nearly so bad as it did before. "Urgh," frowned Rias, wrinkling her nose at the unpleasant mess. "I wish someone would clean it up."

"Disgusting," nodded Akeno. "What _is _it anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it might be-"

"A person," grunted a dry, sarcastic voice. "Who thinks it is very rude to talk about someone as if they're not there."

Both girls jumped, startled. "You can talk!" blurted Rias.

"Guess." The heap unfolded itself upwards, far higher than its apparent mass should allow. The man, for that was what he was, was taller than her, the crown of her head only just reaching to his collarbone. He was wearing a large, baggy coat that may or may not have been made from animal skin. Underneath it he was wearing several shirts and several pairs of trousers, which were made of a material that looked suspiciously like sackcloth. His shoes were mismatched and falling apart at the seams, and his hair was a tangled dark mess, forced down by a battered fedora hat. The lower part of his face was covered by what remained of a scarf, while the upper half was smeared with such grease and dirt Rias couldn't even distinguish his age.

His eyes, however, captured her. They were blue, like her own, but they burned with such intensity it was as if someone had set the sky ablaze, then taken two embers and set them into his face. He seemed at once so young, yet so old, she could neither look nor look away.

"Ahem," She started at his dry cough, and her face burned as she realized she had been staring with her jaw hanging open. "As flattering as I find your fascination with my face, I'm afraid I'm going to have to advise you to blink sometime in the near future."

Akeno sat back and watched the exchange, becoming more amused by the minute. Rias, the eternally composed Rias, was acting like a child being chastised by her father.

"I-I'm very sorry," she babbled, smoothing out her skirt with one hand and pulling at her hair with the other. "I didn't-"

"Your hair," he interrupted. "It is a very unusual color. You were here last week, yes?"

"Er, yes, I was." He just stood there and stared at her for a solid five seconds before speaking.

"Rias Gremory, eighteen years old, third year student at Kuou Academy. Though worshiped by the rest of the student body you prefer to interact only with the Occult Research Club, which consists of yourself, your best friend, the school mascot and the school playboy."

Rias' jaw worked uselessly for a moment. "How did you know that?"

"You have a lot of fan-girls who enjoy talking about you in great detail and at great length in shrill and giddy voices." As he finished talking the man held his right arm out straight to the side, smoothly clothes-lining a sprinting, scruffy individual carrying a purse that probably didn't belong to him.

"Thank you!" gasped a woman Rias had never met before, darting forward to snatch her purse. The random woman began babbling thanks as Rias stood there, unsure as to what was going on. The hobo was ignored completely, and occupied himself by dragging the groaning purse snatcher to the wall and propping him up in an oddly considerate manner. Eventually the woman left, but not before depositing a handful of notes in Rias' hand.

For a long moment she simply stood there, wondering at the surreal situation she had suddenly found herself in. Feeling like a total moron, she offered the money to the grimy hobo. "Uh, do you want..."

As if to answer, the man removed a wad of cash from his pocket approximately triple the size of the one she held in her hand. "Do you really think the nice people of this restaurant would serve someone like me?"

With a look of grim determination Rias stormed in through the front door, reward money clasped firmly in hand. When she emerged she was holding a burger, apparently not having had enough for a full meal. Once more, she held out an offering.

The burning look in his eyes seemed to soften somewhat, and he accepted the food in his left hand while extending his right for her to shake. "My name is Issei Hyoudou. Pleased to meet you."

And just like that...

"My name's Ri... But you already knew... Yeah." she mumbled lamely, wishing she had a fringe to hide behind. His hand completely surrounded hers, and was very warm. He was wearing a tattered pair of fingerless gloves, and the feeling of his callused fingertips on the back of her hand made her shiver.

Akeno tapped her on the shoulder as Issei settled himself onto a bench. "I'll just leave you kids alone!" she whispered loudly, giving her a cheesy thumbs up. Ignoring Rias' sputtering protest Akeno turned tail and ran, probably to watch from a more discrete location.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Er, uhm, yes." stammered Rias, sitting nervously at the end of the bench.

"Why is it that when you talk, even though all I hear is Japanese your lips seem to be saying something else?"

Her jaw dropped. "Wha... What..."

"If you're not allowed to tell me, I totally understand." he grunted, taking another bite of his burger.

"I... I'm not allowed to tell you."

"Meh. Fair enough." There was a short pause, as Rias stared with wide blue eyes and Issei just kept on eating.

"...Why are you even a hobo?"

"You know, that's not a very polite way to-"

"Sorry," said Rias, suddenly flustered again. "It's just that, I've been in the human world for years, and no-one has _ever_ been sharp enough to notice the language thing before."

"Human world?" he smiled. She couldn't see his mouth, but still, she could _tell_ he was smiling.

"And also," she forged on. "Being homeless usually comes with being malnourished, battered by the elements, etc, but that guy ran into you and you didn't even _budge__._ Like he ran into a _tree__._ Seriously," She began to wind down, realizing she now had his full attention. "Why?"

"Why not?" he shrugged. "Maybe I'm an undercover celebrity and this entire conversation is being recorded on camera. Maybe I'm spy from an enemy country. Or perhaps I'm a mass murderer on the run from the police."

"Mass murderer?" frowned Rias. "You're not actually..."

"Technically no," he admitted. "But then again, I've killed my fair share of people and have my fair share of bounties."

Rias raised her eyebrows, surprised he would confess to as much. "Really? Well, I've bloodied my hands a bit too."

"Anyone from your own species?"

"...No."

"Then it doesn't count."

"It doesn't?"

"No."

"...Oh."

"Are you afraid you failed to impress me?"

"Wha-what?" Rias babbled in surprise. "D-don't be absurd! I-I wouldn't dream of-"

Once more, the fires in his eyes softened. "You're adorable."

Rias turned as red as her hair, and Issei laughed like the sun, warm and filled with life.

For the most significant hour and a half of their lives the pair sat and chatted, on topics that, while riveting at the time, would later evade recollection. Eventually, however, it was time to say their goodbyes.

"Well," said Issei. "Thanks for the burger, I suppose."

"Yeah," murmured Rias, looking at the ground bashfully. "Thanks for... for..."

"You're welcome." For the umpteenth time that day, her face blazed. What in Satan's name was wrong with her! She was a Duke of Hell dammit!

"See you," she squeaked, and, head down in an hideous agony of embarrassment, took off at a full sprint. Issei watched her go.

"**Ise****..."**

The voice drifted on the wind, deep, sardonic and otherworldly. No-one else heard it but him, for it was his burden alone to bear. "Huh?" he grunted, giving no further reaction.

"**I ****want****..." **Issei rolled his eyes. He knew what came next.

"**...****to ****get ****laid****. ****That ****girl ****back ****there ****was ****a ****total ****hottie****. ****You ****should ****tap ****that****."**

"Not going to happen, Judas." Issei started walking, not bothering to lower his voice. After all, what was so weird about a hobo talking to himself?

"**Why ****the ****hell ****not****? ****Dat ****ass****! ****Dem ****bewbs****! ****And ****her ****friend****! ****Two ****words ****Ise**** - ****THREESOME****!"**

"You know, once upon a time I enjoyed women as well. Then I was exposed to you."

"**You ****mean ****I****'****m ****your ****type****? ****Don****'****t ****get ****me ****wrong****, ****I****'****m ****flattered****, ****but ****I ****only ****do ****girls****. ****You ****should ****too****. ****They ****have ****boobs****."**

"Indeed they do. However, for some reason it's incredibly hard to get into the mood with you CONSTANTLY BREATHING DOWN MY NECK!"

"**And ****whose ****fault ****is ****that****?"**

"Yours! No-one asked to become my invisi-stalker, you started that on your own!"

"**Come ****now****. ****I****'****m ****not ****so ****bad****, ****right****?"**

"How many times have I tried to have you exorcised?"

"**Six ****hundred ****and ****sixty ****three****. ****Thrice ****more ****and ****I****'****ll ****be ****so ****many ****kinds ****of ****win ****I****'****ll ****have ****to ****tattoo ****the ****word ****across ****my ****forehead****!"**

"Why bother, no-one would see it but me."

"**Way ****to ****rain ****on ****my ****parade****, ****dude****."**

"I try." With an ungentlemanly scratch, Issei trundled to a halt. He had arrived at a certain skyscraper, all glass and metal. Various thugs with dark suits and guns guarded the entrance. Issei tilted his head back and squinted his eyes, trying to see the top. "We're here."

"**Did ****you ****say ****you ****knew ****this ****guy****?"**

"Yeah, he was a rival back when was I still mixed up with the Triads. Calls himself Boss. Never actually fought the dude though."

"**We ****got ****a ****plan****?"**

"Get the girl. Kill the bad guy. Save the world."

"**Good ****plan****. ****Though ****it ****worries ****me****, ****your ****informant ****said ****this ****guy ****was ****a ****master ****martial ****artist****. ****As ****in ****actual ****MASTAH ****martial ****artist****. ****He ****could ****be ****tough****."**

"Master he may be," murmured Issei, stepping slowly towards his target. "But then again..." As the first few gatekeepers noticed his presence, Issei burst forward in a flurry of movement. "...so am I."

Issei flung open the front doors, the guards screaming on the ground behind him. He strode confidently up to the front desk, rifled around inside his coat for a few minutes to retrieve a battered photograph, then proffered it to the horrified receptionist.

"You seen this girl?"

The whole room was dyed red as the alarm went off, dozens of heavily armed men in black combat gear pouring into the room as huge blast doors sealed all the exits. "Get down on the ground and put your hands on your head!" the leader shouted.

"I'd do as he says if I were you," said Issei to the receptionist, but a blast door had gone down in front of her, and she couldn't hear him.

"Open fire!"

A solid ten seconds of gunfire later, and they had run out of ammo. Hundreds of tiny dents speckled the metal wall behind him, but Issei himself was untouched. "Is that all?" he murmured. "My turn then." It was over in moments. As with the gate guards, Issei had broken both index fingers on each guard's hands, but otherwise left them unharmed. It didn't stop them from being babies about it though, despite the fact that he had left each of them eight spares.

Issei raised his arms, examining the dozens of tiny bullet holes going through his dangling sleeves. "That was close. Their rifles were quite strong, I almost couldn't dodge."

"**Those ****were ****SG****552****s ****if ****I****'****m ****not ****mistaken****."**

"What, no AK47s?"

"**Dude****, ****those ****went ****out ****of ****fashion ****years ****ago****."**

Issei walked up to the blast door between him and the receptionist, grabbed ahold of it as if it were tinfoil and ripped it off the wall. Astonishingly, she had remained in her seat. "So?" he pressed. "The girl?"

Most of the building's floors could not be accessed normally, save for the first four floors. The fifth floor onwards had to be accessed by a small building on the opposite side of the street, whose inwards consisted of one huge, heavily guarded staircase. The top floor extended across the street in a broad bridge to the fifth floor, which had elevators leading to every upper floor.

Since Boss wasn't actually pedophilic (just inherently mean) Issei determined he had enough time to take the long way round. It probably would have been faster to just bust through ceiling, but he'd probably hurt his hands. And that wouldn't end well for anybody, except possibly Judas.

This turned out to be an extremely poor decision, as he was attacked by a chopper on the bridge.

Before the pilot's finger could finish squeezing on the trigger, Issei stomped his foot sharply onto the ground. A large portion of concrete and masonry was flipped upwards, allowing him to crouch and be shielded behind it. The hail of machine gun fire was still ongoing as the ground beneath the makeshift barrier fell away, taking Issei's decimated shield with it. The hobo was nowhere in sight.

"Where the hell did he go?" the pilot managed to mutter, before something crashed into the side of the copter and almost sent it careening into a wall.

"He's hanging on to one of the missiles!" shouted his co-pilot, having glanced out the left window to see what was going on. "Fire it!" Issei's arms were nearly torn from their sockets as the rocket let loose, dragging him along for the ride.

"**Crash****!" **hissed Judas vindictively. **"****Crash****!" **Issei gritted his teeth and heaved himself forward, trying to force himself into a standing position. As he pulled on the nose of the rocket his center of gravity shifted, and the missiles direction was changed just before it exploded against the building's side. Now inches from the endless windows and heading straight upwards, Issei forced his toes through the soles of his shoes and used them to grip the rockets body. Just as he passed roof level, he threw his weight back and let go with his hands.

Man and missile spun through the air, gravity disappearing for a long, dizzying moment. When his world righted itself, Issei was soaring towards the choppers right, maneuvered there by his uncontrolled, swerving movement. Utilizing the surfing lessons forced into his brain by his grandfather, Issei steered his ride on a direct collision course to his aggressors. At the last possible moment he backflipped gracefully into the air, the blaze as rocket met helicopter like a warm breeze. He landed in a crouch, then walked unflinchingly towards the skyscraper as the flaming helicopter crashed into the attached building behind him.

"**That****," **admitted Judas. **"****Was ****pretty ****hardcore****."**

And it was.

Meeting no resistance, Issei walked into the fifth floor lobby and pressed the button next to the elevator. After a few minutes, the doors opened and he stepped inside, invisible possessing spirit in tow. Issei selected the highest floor and settled down to wait. Judas began to hum in time to the background music.

"**Is ****it ****just ****me****," **said Judas. **"****Or ****is ****the ****elevator ****going ****a ****little ****too ****fast****."**

Issei leaned his head back until he was staring straight up at the ceiling. They continued to accelerate, and the music fizzled and went out. The sensation was probably similar to what one would feel should the gravity rapidly increase around their body. With muscles creaking and blood vessels popping, Issei forced himself into action and grabbed the sliding doors, pulling them roughly off the wall. His work was sloppy, and a small portion of the ceiling came off along with it. Far above, but rapidly approaching, a rectangle of light showed an open door.

Time slowed. A desperate jump, an explosion, and it was over.

"Shit that was close," Issei hissed, heart pounding in his ears.

"**So ****close****," **moaned Judas, not hiding his disappointment. They were at the beginning of a long corridor, the walls a series of screens like in a traditional Chinese tea-house. It opened up in a large restaurant area, with tables not only on the floor but also in several galleries along the walls. One level up, facing the entrance and sitting on a mound of luxurious cushions was Boss. Unlike Issei, whose wiry frame relied on speed, Boss's huge frame rippled with muscles. He was wearing a large grey cloak with a white trim at the collar over a grey business suit, and a swirling tattoo covered his bald head. Next to him stood a small girl in dirty clothes, two years old at the most. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that reached to her ankles, and she was holding a small tin serving tray in her hands. About her neck was a collar and chain, the end of which was held firmly in Boss's huge paw.

"**Issei****!" **shouted Judas, who no-one else could hear. **"****Say ****something ****cool****, ****like****... ****like****... ****er****..."**

"Thank you for ordering from Hobo Pizzas," drawled Issei, repeating Judas's words mechanically. "Please enjoy your Cheese Fea-" He looked down at his hands, affecting an air of surprise. "Huh... it was here a second ago."

Boss erupted into laughter. "You have got some _balls__._" he chortled.

A faint smile danced across the tramp's face. "I'm amazed I can even walk."

Boss snapped his fingers and someone threw a sheathed katana from one of the side galleries. Issei caught it without looking. A ninja in a white kabuki mask, of all things, dropped down from the ceiling and landed in a crouch on Boss's left. An instant later and their faces were inches apart, Issei blocking the ninja's naked blade with his own sheathed one. With a powerful swing on Issei's part the other man was flung through the air, landing with catlike grace in the gallery.

As six more ninjas landed around him Issei dropped the sword, and in a maelstrom, a storm, a _tornado _his punches blurred forth, hurling the goons away from him with deep, fist shaped indentations on their chests. Again without looking, Issei caught the grenade thrown from the gallery and threw it back.

As flames consumed the eastern wall, Issei hurled himself into a roll to avoid the first ninja as he leapt fearlessly through the flames. Grabbing the abandoned sword as he went, Issei swung his wrist and sent the sheath flying before lunging forward. The kabuki ninja leaned back impossibly far, the blade inches from his nose before backflipping away, forcing Issei into manageable range with a rising kick.

His mask fell to the ground, cut perfectly in half.

"A white guy?" said Issei dryly. "They make Caucasian ninjas?"

The man lunged forward but Issei tapped his sword aside, then pressed forward in a series of smooth strikes. The other man was forced to back away while dodging frantically, until seemingly tripping and falling on his back. As Issei closed in he uncoiled like a spring, both feet slamming into Issei's chest and launching him magnificently into the air. He followed up with an impressive jump, but his thrust was again deflected. Issei swung his sword twice and the ninja felt two stings on the backs of his thighs. The flat of Issei's sword smacked the other man in the face and sent him tumbling to the floor. He landed awkwardly on his front, finding he could no longer move his legs.

He managed to force himself up with his hands just as Issei descended, gravity adding force as the back of his blade slammed into the ninja's skull.

Boss raised an eyebrow as his minion fell. "Not bad-" The hulking monster cut himself off and whirled around, lifting a chair over his head with one hand in an attempt to crush the little girl. And then the odd hobo was there, blocking the hit with his sword. Boss couldn't help but notice that, in his instant of movement, Issei had broken the chain around the girl's neck.

"Get back," ordered the smaller man. "Leave this to me." The girl did as he said and scrambled away.

"Yeah," laughed Boss, abandoning the chair and making some distance. "Leave us alone! Can't you see the grown-ups want to talk!" Issei darted forward, but his swipe went under Boss's feet as the larger man jumped vertically, smashing through the ceiling to the roof. Issei tossed his weapon aside and leapt after him.

It wasn't what he was expecting. Boss had renovated the roof of his building into a beautiful garden, a garden lacking in variety of color, but of a lush, verdant green one usually only sees after recent rain. At the opposite end from where he was standing was a platform shielded from the elements by a tiled roof, and in the center stood a huge, mossy rock, on which stood Boss.

If this were some cheesy battle manga then they would trash talk each other for a few minutes before coming to blows, stopping every so often to go into lengthy descriptions of their attacks. However, this was reality.

Boss was a master martial artist. When he went all out he used a form of Xiaolin monk kung fu. In order to allow himself flexibility between open and closed fisted martial arts he had learned both Metal Fist and Tiger Claw techniques. Backing it were his incredible endurance, placing any battle of attrition in his advantage, and strength that could and would break concrete.

Issei had no presence at all. He just stood there, completely nonthreatening and harmless. Deep inside, Boss admitted to himself that this, the ability to _force_ the opponent to underestimate you was easily the strongest weapon one could have. Boss knew for a fact that it was an act, because of what he had seen in the instant he had attacked the girl.

The notions of chi and killer intent may be overplayed in eastern fiction, but they had genuine roots in reality. For those of Boss's level, they acquired an instinct forged in fire, telling them through sheer gut intuition when someone wants them dead. However, it is only during a fight between two masters that the phenomenon truly blossoms.

It required, of course, a certain amount of imagination on the fighter's part. The most accurate word to describe it would be 'hallucination'. Sensing the incoming threat, the warrior's mind creates an image they associate with the _feel_ of the other, briefly superimposing the image before their mind caught up with reality.

Boss had seen a huge, blue eastern dragon soar through the air and snip the girl's chain with its jaws. The dragon's head wasn't Issei's sword, he found, but his fist. He broke a steel chain with the tips of his fingers, and Boss found that very interesting indeed.

The color, Boss had found, gave one a fairly accurate impression of the other's emotions and mental state. Generally speaking, blue was lucidity and orange was turmoil. The transcendent sapphire of the dragon spoke of calm confidence and worse, terrifying battle experience.

As Boss jumped forward to make the first blow (a steel rending Tiger Claw strike) an image of an immense tiger appeared, his chi dying it a fiery orange. In contrast Issei's dragon was pitifully small, wrapping itself tightly about his body with its head at his wrist. Time slowed to a crawl as Boss fell through the air. As he watched the imaginary dragon coiled itself about the hobo's left forearm, spinning and contracting until there was a small, focused whirlwind of chi swirling about his fist. And then it did something Boss had never seen happen before in his life.

His chi turned a deep, crimson red.

Boss felt rather than saw the fist hit his rib-cage. In the instant as physics fought to catch up with Issei's tremendous speed, Boss heard the other master speak a single word, and the word was-

"Todome."

The enormous man was sent hurtling fifteen meters through the air. As he flew over the edge of the roof and fell to certain death, his last thoughts were of satisfaction. For Boss knew he was a true master for seeing through the complexity of that incredible, reality defying punch.

Before Boss even hit the ground, Issei was in front of the little girl he came to save. He knelt before the frightened child and showed her the picture he had shown the receptionist. The photo depicted her and two other girls, only just entering their teens, and a young man in his twenties.

"Are you Hina?" The poor child didn't even realize she was crying. "Your family sent me. I'm here to take you home. Everything is going to be alright."

For once, Judas had nothing to say.

**I ****will ****not ****apologize ****for ****the ****ninjas****. ****They ****are ****both ****funny ****and ****awesome****.**


	2. The Stalker Girl

"**I ****WANT ****TO ****FUCK ****SOMETHING****!"**

"I know," sobbed Issei, head in his hands. "Believe me I know."

He was in the town square, sitting on the edge of a fountain. The area around him was bustling with life, the pedestrians either ignoring him or walking in large circles to avoid him. He was a filthy, ranting hobo. You would too.

"**If ****you ****know ****then ****why ****are ****we ****sitting ****here ****when ****there****'****s ****a ****gorgeous ****bombshell ****over ****there ****licking ****lolipops ****at ****you****?"**

Indeed, the girl sitting in the outdoor cafe was doing her level best to arouse his attention. She was devouring the lucky treat in her hands with such provocative flair that the waiters had taken to bringing her a new one every time it got too small, due to the influx of male customers she was attracting. Issei, however, was nonplussed.

"Judas, have you peeked up her skirt yet?"

"**...****Yes****."**

"Then we're done here." He stood up and walked away without a backwards glance.

"**Oh****, ****come ****on****! ****She ****has ****long ****black hair****, ****which ****means ****she****'****s ****totally ****my ****type****, ****and ****big ****tits****, ****which ****means ****she****'****s ****yours****. ****How ****is ****this ****not ****a ****jackpot****."**

"So far, you have sent me after two hundred and forty six girls with long black hair." said Issei, with the air of one who has had this conversation many, many times before. "A hundred and twelve of them slapped me, eighty three of them punched me, twenty five of them kicked me in the balls, fifteen were married, ten were out to kill me and one of them turned out to be a man!"

"**It ****was ****dark****,"** said Judas defensively. **"****You ****were ****fooled ****at ****first ****too****!"**

"My point is, if it's sexy, female and has long dark hair, then it's probably planning to do something horrible to me before I can say 'is that a ghurka knife'."

"**It****'****s ****not ****that ****bad****. ****What ****are ****the ****odds ****that****, ****just ****because ****of ****her ****hair****, ****she****'****s ****going ****to****-"**

"Hello!" Both Issei and Judas gave a panicked scream, the former leaping a foot into the air and the latter going completely unnoticed. The girl from earlier had stepped out of the alleyway in front of him, giving such a cheerful and unsurprised greeting that she could have only been waiting in ambush. "Uh, sorry if I startled you," she murmured, a bit taken aback by their surprise. "My name is Yuuma Amano."

Issei took a wary step backwards. "Didn't I leave you behind at the cafe?"

"Oh," Yuuma blushed demurely. "So you noticed me. Well, the truth is, I... Iyaan, this is so embarrassing!"

"**TAP ****THAT****!"** screamed Judas desperately. **"****TAP ****IT ****YOU ****TEA ****DRINKING ****SON ****OF ****A ****BITCH****!"**

"I set off before you," said Issei, carefully analyzing all possible escape routes. "You would've had to run full pelt to make it ahead of me. That or the ability of flight. Or teleportation."

"Well, I was just so excited to meet you," she said shyly. "I've seen you around town, and-"

"No," said Issei firmly. "Just no. You're not going to do this to me. I won't be dragged into your pace, not again. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you're a whore!" he snarled. "Because you're whoreness reeks from you like the putrid vapors of a demon's testicles, because it drips from you like the snot of an aroused pedophile. So you know what I say to you? I SAY FUCK YOU! AND FUCK YOUR FUCKING MOTHER TOO!"

In a sharp sideways kick, Issei slashed his foot into the a nearby fire hydrant, crushing it like a plastic bottle. The girl staggered backwards as the pressurized water exploded upwards, and by the time she regained her bearings he was gone.

Hooray for needless paranoia!

"**SON ****OF ****A ****FUCKIN****' ****WHORE****! ****WHAT ****THE ****FUCK ****IS ****GOIN****' ****ON****! ****FUCK ****THIS ****FUCK****!"**

"I sense you are upset," said Issei calmly. "Let's talk about our feelings."

"**I****'****M ****GOING ****TO ****EAT ****YOUR ****SOUL****!"**

"And how do you feel about that?"

"**GRAAAAGH****!"**

Issei was in a park, a fair distance away from where he had met The Stalker Girl. The patrolling officer for the area (an attractive young woman he had once saved from rapists) allowed him to sleep there at night provided he didn't mess up the flower beds. His favorite spot was under a large bush, which had grown in such a way that a small, enclosed space could be found, shielded from prying eyes by the dense foliage. It kept the worst of the rain off, though if he lay straight his feet would poke out and trip passers-by. As was the case today.

Issei was just dozing off (despite Judas' enraged screams) when he felt someone with very thin legs trip over his feet and begin to curse in an unladylike manner. Like the hard-bitten badass he was, Issei went hurtling to his feet, hit his head on a branch and started a steady list of every swear word Judas had ever taught him, while the dark spirit in question laughed his ass off in the background. Two faces (one annoyed and one amused) greeted him as he emerged from the bush.

They were girls, and he had met them both before. The annoyed one was fourteen, with short brown hair held back by a blue ribbon. The amused one was ten, and had extremely long blond hair tied into twintails by a pair of matching red ribbons. They were half-sisters, siblings to the girl Issei had rescued from Boss the other day.

"What the hell're you two doing here?" he said rudely.

"Tripping over your feet!" snarled the elder sister. "Show some consideration to innocent pedestrians, you slob!"

"Well excuse me for being homeless!" Issei shot back. "Some of us aren't as _lucky_ and _privileged_ as you are. And Miu, hello."

"Hi Issei," smiled the blond.

"Hey, it's hard for us to stay together! It takes hours of extra work just so we don't get separated, but you? You don't eat, you don't drink, you _barely_ sleep and yet you're healthy enough to punch through concrete! And _why_ can't you say hello to me like you do to her?"

"Because you're a damn shrew, that's why!"

"Well, you're filthy, hairy, smelly, and _literally_ too ashamed to show your face in public."

Huh. She had him there. Especially with that last part. The scarf he kept permanently wrapped around his lower face hadn't been moved in several months. "...Segawa likes big boobs."

"YOU SHITHEAD!" the brunette roared, lunging for his throat.

"Sora, wait! We can't afford a lawyer!" shouted Miu, desperately tackling her sister to the ground.

Meanwhile, Judas-

"**BUHAHAHAHAHA****!"**

-was still an asshole.

"So anyway," said Issei once everyone had calmed down. "What's up?"

"Ah," said Sora, suddenly remembering this wasn't a social visit. "That's right! Something terrible's happened to Onii-chan!"

"**Segawa****'****s ****finally ****lost ****his ****virginity****?"** was Judas' first response.

"Segawa's finally lost his virginity?" repeated Issei, who believed that since _he_ had to put up with Judas, everyone else should too.

"The hell!" thundered Sora. "Where did that come from!"

"Well, logically, whenever you go into these tantrums it usually means Segawa's being hit on by some girl-"

"Tantrums!" she snarled.

"Yes," Issei nodded heedlessly. "You have this yodeling roar-"

"Yodeling!" Her voice had now risen several octaves.

"Shrieking, perhaps?" Issei suggested.

"Shrieking!" she shrieked.

"Ehem!" coughed Miu loudly, finally getting the discussion back on track. "Sora, will you stop getting sidetracked! This is impor-"

She was cut off as Issei stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. His eyes had gone dead-cold. "That is the first time I have ever seen you snap at anyone, ever." he said seriously. "What's wrong with Segawa."

For most of his adolescent life, Issei had been involved with organized crime. In particular he had possessed high standing with the Triads, though he hadn't spoken with them in so long he was now merely a legend spoken of in hushed whispers. During this tenure he had had a great deal of experience with one of the more... romanticized aspects of the gangs.

Fight club.

The business was taking place in a back street alley, in an area the size of a half basketball court walled off by a wire fence. Gathered around the fence were a few dozen men plus a few women, all of them screaming for blood. Inside the arena were two combatants, and one of them wasn't looking so hot.

"W-wait," he stammered, backing away fearfully. "I surrender, I've lost, so please-"

"I'm not done," snarled the other man, advancing slowly on his victim. He was a giant of a man, with shaggy brown hair that reached past his shoulders and a face hidden by a worn ski mask. He was wearing a black muscle shirt, black fingerless gloves, green pants and brown boots.

And the other guy?

He was just an ordinary dude.

"Take one of my punches," the taller man growled. "And if you happen to live, I'll let you go." By this point the small man had started frantically pulling on the gate, which was wired shut. He gave up and turned around just in time to see a fist the size of his head rocketing towards his face.

The only thing that saved him was his legs giving way.

The punch punctured straight through the fence and hit a man on the other side, reducing his face to a bloody wreck. Both him and the gate itself were sent hurtling through the air, straight over the heads of their audience. The losing combatant could only sit there as his opponent prepared for a second swing. "No," he croaked. "I'll die-"

The fist came down.

At the first swing, the crowd went wild.

At the second, they fell silent.

The expected spatter of blood and gore was absent. Instead-

"Segawa," said Issei, patting his friend on the shoulder. "We are going to have _words_ after this." They were both standing up straight, as though one of them hadn't just yanked the other away from certain death. Next to them, the bigger man was still kneeling with his fist embedded in the concrete. Literally, as the ground had ruptured with his punch.

There was a rule in this arena. Unless both fighters acknowledge the fight is over, the fight continues. Even if (as was the case today) one party has clearly lost. There was zero tolerance for any third-party interference. In years past none had ever dared to break this rule, as it was set by the one man the whole underworld feared, who had made even Boss cower in fear, who had no name but his alias...

Tornado.

To save his friend, Issei had crossed the one man who should never be crossed.

"You looking to die?" snarled the big man, flakes of concrete falling from his knuckles as he stood up. The crowd had started shouting again, yelling encouragements to a person called 'AV', so that was probably him.

"I was just saving my friend," said Issei, smoothly stepping between the two fighters. "That's not a problem is it?"

The eyes behind the mask glared with murderous flames, his only thought to rip the person in front of him to shreds. The fight's fuse was ignited, and soon there would be an explosion.

"**You ****know****,"** observed Judas calmly. **"****I ****think ****he ****seriously ****wants ****to ****kill ****you****."**

Ever since AV had started fighting, all the matches he had fought were easily won; the opponents were basically his punching bags. Who else but Issei could-

_BEEP__BEEP_

_BEEP__BEEP_

AV reached into his pocket and pulled out a small digital watch. He pressed a button on the side, and the alarm stopped. "You got lucky," he grunted, and calmly walked out of the arena. The entire crowd followed him, and within minutes Issei and Segawa were the only ones there.

"...Is that it?" wondered Issei aloud. "Really?"

Segawa let out a massive breath. "Thanks, man. If you hadn't showed up, I'd have been-"

Issei's fist cracked down on the roof of his skull. "The **FUCK** Yuuta! Have you any idea what this place is? How worried your nieces were?"

Segawa flinched from the onslaught. Issei only called him by name when he was pissed. "I'm sorry, I thought I was only going to fight small fries-"

"Segawa, that was NO SMALL FRY! You could have been maimed for life, or worse, killed! What the hell were you trying to prove!"

"I needed the money!" Segawa snapped, almost crying from fear and guilt and stress. "Debt after debt and I can't earn fast enough to pay them. The arena was my last shot."

"**You ****could ****always ****sell ****your ****body****,"** suggested Judas unhelpfully, though of course Segawa couldn't hear him. **"****If ****nothing ****else****, ****Sora ****would ****probably****-"**

As he always did, Issei ignored him. "How much do you owe?"

"Twenty eight million." Segawa hunched his shoulders, the weight of his situation heavy in his chest. Issei wouldn't help him, they didn't even know each other that well. He had just bumped into him a few times at the park. Issei had no obligation to-

"Take it." said Issei. It was the fifth time he had repeated himself, so deep was Segawa in emo-dem. He was holding out him the same roll of notes he had shown Rias. Everything he had. "You can pay me back later. It's better to pay back your debts."

Segawa didn't argue, but quietly accepted the money. "Thank you," he whispered, not quite knowing how to react when faced with Issei's kindness.

Because a true friend might not call themselves your friend, but they will always help you in your time of need.

"Now come on, your nieces are waiting."

Sora and Miu sobbed their eyes out when they saw the state their uncle was in, but Hina (the girl Issei had rescued from Boss) didn't immediately notice them. She was holding the hand of a girl Issei had never met before, a nun only a few years older than Sora. She was quite short - only up to Issei's bicep - and had long blond hair and bright green eyes. Little Hina was babbling to her happily as the nun nodded along absently, eyeing the wall curiously. Then Hina noticed them, and (humiliatingly) ran to Issei first. "Iche! Iche!" She latched onto his leg like a monkey, and with a casual flick of the ankle Issei sent her hurtling skywards, squealing with delight. Finally having noticed what he was doing, the nun gaped as he calmly held out his hand and caught her as she fell, placing the giggling two-year-old on his shoulders.

Upsy-daisy for badasses.

"Hello," he said politely, ignoring the naked horror on her face. "Are you the one who's been looking after Hina?"

"What? Oh, y-yes!" she stammered in Italian. She didn't understand what he said, but merely got the gist. "I just met Sora and Miu earlier today and-"

"You guys left Hina with someone you just met?" said Issei, who spoke Japanese, Chinese, Italian and English fluently. "More like, you could understand her?"

"Just me," said Miu, while Sora continued to berate his friend. "And we were panicking! Ojii-chan was-"

"Oh, dear!" gasped the nun, finally noticing Segawa's injuries. "Are you alright!" He tried to protest, but she ignored him. Cupping her hands over his face, a soothing green light flowed out from her fingers and washed his cuts away. Within minutes, the worst of Segawa's wounds were gone.

"I know," said Miu. "Trippy."

"**Pfft****! ****Old ****trick****."** snorted Judas dismissively.

"Thank you," said Issei in Italian. "That was very... kind of you."

The girl blinked in surprise. "Eh? Ah, well, that was just... Anyway! I have to get to a church somewhere in this town, but I'm afraid I'm a bit lost."

"No problem," nodded Issei, who knew she was hiding something, and knew better than anyone to respect people's privacy. "If you like, I can take you there."

"Really!" Her face lit up, and Judas made an improper comment about Issei possibly getting laid. "That would be wonderful, thank you! My name is Asia Argento, it's very nice to meet you."

"Issei Hyoudou," he nodded. "Likewise." He told the others that he would be escorting the nice lady home, deposited Hina in her eldest sister's arms and waved as the quartet departed. Before they followed suit, Asia tugged at his sleeve and pointed to the wall.

"Is there a wild animal on the loose?"

"Huh?"

Scattered across the wall were dozens of scratches, rents torn through the rock. At first glance they appeared to be random, but-

"They're all the same length," muttered Issei, running one dirty hand across the wall. "And each slash was done with four digits. Feel the inside, it's too smooth to have been done with an edge."

"What does that mean," wondered Asia nervously.

"It means this was done with some dude's fingers," Issei grunted. "It's possible, provided you strengthen your fingers to a proper degree."

"Wow," whispered Asia, who believed him instantly. "Can people really do that?"

In answer Issei began to walk away, casually raising his hand towards an untarnished wall. The scars he left may as well have been done in sand for all the effort it took him. Eyes wide, Asia scampered after him and began to barrage him with questions, but Issei just laughed behind his mask.

"Does... Does it not bother you?" asked Asia, after they had been walking for a while. "My powers that is."

"Hell no!" snorted Issei. "I've seen way worse from people more violent, scary, crude, crass, perverted and ugly than you could ever be."

"**I****'****m ****not ****ugly****."** said Judas.

"But yeah, no worries. It's a power made for helping people. You should be proud."

"Proud..." she murmured, eyes downcast. "Right..." After a few moments she quietly whispered, "Issei-san, do you believe in God?"

"Sure I do!" he nodded, surprising her. "The proof of his existence stalks me everywhere I go!"

"**I****'****m ****not ****a ****stalker****! ****Stop ****calling ****me ****one****!"**

"Really?" gasped Asia, obviously not getting the stalking comment. "You really believe?"

"Yes I do." said Issei. "What I _don__'__t_ believe is that he's all-loving."

Asia looked truly, utterly horrified. "How could you possibly say that!"

"Look at me," said Issei. "Do I _look_ like God loves me?"

She opened her mouth to say yes, yes he did. But not a word came out, as she realized that no, no he didn't.

"Everything I have ever had has been taken from me. My family, my respect, my livelihood, even my free will. My humanity itself may as well be in question, with the way people look at me, and you tell me this higher power still cares?" He glanced at Asia, who had fallen silent. "But why do you treat me normally, scum of the earth that I am?"

"I don't believe in judging based on appearances," whispered the nun. "I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt."

It wasn't the first time someone had said this to him, and it wasn't the first time he thought they meant it, but it was the first time he believed it to be true. He placed his hand on her head, and she started slightly in surprise.

"God loves you," said Issei, with conviction. "If he exists, even if he isn't all-loving and even if he doesn't love _me_, God loves _you_. Count on it."

It made her day.

"Now this church, have you ever been there before?"

"No, but they should be expecting me." said Asia cheerfully. "Ah, there it is!"

The place was a bit old, and could've used a lick of paint, but Issei didn't think it was too bad. "Right, this is where I leave. Thanks again for taking care of the brat."

"No, she wasn't any trouble," said Asia, grabbing his sleeve to stop him from leaving. "But you don't have to go right now. Would you like some... tea?"

"**Ladies****."**

"No thank you," said Issei politely, smiling behind his mask. "But maybe if we ever meet again."

He stood and waved as the sweet girl ran inside, then waited a moment on the pavement.

"A hundred and twelve slaps," he began. "Eighty three punches, twenty five kicks in the balls, fifteen married, ten out to kill me, one man..." He slowly turned around. "...and one fallen angel."

She floated there, crow-black wings spread behind her along with three others - a man with a trench coat, a girl in a gothic lolita outfit and a woman in a revealing purple suit. Below them was a small army of thugs, complete with black trench coats, black face masks and light sabers.

"**Don****'****t ****say ****a ****word****."**

"Don't take rejection well do you, Yuuma Amano?" drawled Issei. "Or should I say, 'Ama no Yuuma'."

"So you've heard of me." smirked The Stalker Girl.

"Not at all, it was just a very transparent and unimaginative pseudonym." A wave of snickers broke out through the mooks, and the other fallen angels laughed openly. The Stalker Girl's face burned red.

"You filthy bastard!" she snarled. "You should be honored when offered one as beautiful as me!"

"So you would have let me tap you!" said Issei in surprise. "Damn, if I'd known it'd get me laid I'd have played alo-"

He ducked as a spear of red light hurtled through the space his head had been occupying, embedding itself in the pavement behind him. "You little shit!" The Stalker Girl snarled. "I'm going to impale your head on my bedpost!"

"Kinky."

"**You ****are ****NOT ****endearing ****yourself ****to ****this ****woman****."**

"Shoot him!" shrieked The Stalker Girl. "Shoot him now!" The bullets that swept towards Issei were different to the one fired by Boss' henchmen. They were made of light - literally, made of light - and were much faster. They wouldn't harm him as badly as they would, say, a devil, but they would burn and penetrate deep into his body.

In theory.

In practice, he just stood there and waited until they stopped; there were no visible effects on his body. As though he wasn't being attacked at all. "How boring." Issei yawned, and began to trudge forward. The rain of gunfire started up again, but it made no difference. As he reached the crowd they began to drop their weapons, hurriedly backing away from the seemingly invulnerable man. Realizing what he was going to do The Stalker Girl tried to escape, but Issei jumped, grabbed ahold of her ankle and brought her to the ground with a crash.

"It's not nice to attack people you know," Issei began. He sat on her abdomen, with his legs pinning her arms. "I think you need to be punished." Right there and then, in front of all her subordinates, he put his hands on her tits and squeezed.

"Hyaan!" she gasped, and a shocked murmur ran through the thugs. Neither they nor the other fallen angels moved to help her, however. They merely watched, as if in a trance.

"**Go ****for ****it ****Issei****!"** shouted Judas excitedly. **"****Just ****like ****I ****taught ****you****!"**

To his eternal shame, Issei had indeed been taught numerous breast related techniques over the course of their relationship, which he proceeded to dish out now onto the wannabe dominatrix. "Now now," he purred, rolling his palms provocatively. "It's not punishment if you enjoy it."

"Y-you b-bastard," she protested weakly. "I (ahn) s-swear I'll (iya) g-get you b-back for this!"

"You know," said Issei thoughtfully, suddenly becoming more aggressive with his ministrations. "It's really quite convenient that you're not wearing a bra." The fallen angel fell even further, her throaty gasps turning to torturous screams as the assorted minions looked on.

"P-please," she whimpered. "P-please s-sto-(hya) s-stop."

"Not until you say, 'I'm sorry, please forgive me Issei-sama'." For a moment, he thought he'd gone too far.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry," she gasped. As her shirt became see-through with sweat, Issei got a good look at what he was groping. "P-please f-forgive me (ha) I-Issei-sama."

"Again," he whispered, getting into his role. "Say my name."

"Issei..." she moaned. "Issei..." Her body arched beneath him, and he suddenly realized what was happening. "SAMA!" she screamed, going tense for several seconds before going limp.

Even Issei was surprised.

"**I****..."** said Judas, sounding like he may burst into tears at any moment. **"****AM ****SO ****PROUD ****OF ****YOU****!"**

"Right," said Issei, ignoring him. "Anyone else?"

"Yes ple-" The goth loli was interrupted as the older fallen angel bonked her on the head. "I mean, no thanks."

"Okay," nodded Issei. "See ya."

And with that...

He just walked out of there.


	3. Brewing Conflict

Rias cut a cliche, but romantic silhouette against the sunset. Her chin propped on the heel of her left hand, she gazed out the classroom window with eyes brimming with emotion. She gave a heavy, forlorn sigh, and the air echoed with the squeals of fangirls.

"What the hell's up with her?" wondered Sona, from where she was digging into her lunch at a nearby table. Tsubaki and Akeno sat on her right and left respectively. Usually they would be joined by Rias, but apparently she had forgotten they existed.

"I'm glad you asked," grinned Akeno, rejoicing at the opportunity to cause chaos. "Over the weekend our Rias had a fated encounter!"

Everyone in the room suddenly started listening in.

Sona frowned. "I... I don't understand..."

"A man, Sona, it's a man!" Though both were blunted by their glasses, the looks she got still dripped skepticism. "I'm serious this time!"

"Right." grunted Tsubaki. "And who is it this time?"

"A hobo."

Sono choked on her rice, and had to cough heartily before she got any words out. "What the (cough) what the fu-"

"I know!" beamed Akeno happily. "He was tall, and strong, and the filthiest person I'd ever seen. And his eyes were this burning blue color, as in they _literally_ burned-"

"Hang on," croaked Sona, finally getting ahold of herself. "Why don't we backtrack to the hobo part-"

"Is that discrimination against the homeless?"

"Akeno," murmured Tsubaki, who seemed to be in a state of shock. "Is Rias really hot for a hobo."

"We saw him beat up a purse snatcher, and struck up a conversation with him." said Akeno nostalgically. "I say that, but Rias did most of the talking. They were off in their own little world, all gooey and lovey dovey. I was the third wheel, to be honest-"

"Akeno." The trio looked up to see the redhead in question, glaring down at them balefully. "Stop telling people about this. It's annoying."

"You mean it's true?" gasped Tsubaki, and Rias turned pink.

"It is not!" she snarled. "Issei and I are just friends!"

Akeno smirked. "So you're on a first name basis?"

Rias blinked for a moment, then turned a little redder. "So what? That proves nothing!"

"So when you were staring wistfully at the window earlier, you _weren__'__t_ imagining his face reflected in the glass?"

"How did yo- I mean no! No I was not!"

"Holy shit!" whispered Sona. "You... A hobo..."

"Stop it!" hissed Rias. "It's-"

"Love." Akeno finished for her. "Nay, DESTINY!"

"It's not!" Rias almost screamed, well aware that her classmates were becoming more interested by the minute. "It's not love, it's not destiny and I'm probably never going to see him again. Now will you all please drop it!"

The door slid open. "Excuse me? Is this Rias Gremory's class?"

Rias froze. That voice, it couldn't be...

It was. There he stood, in all his ragged glory. His clothes were still filthy. His tangled hair was still forced down by that battered fedora. The scarf still hid his face. And his eyes still smoldered with that unexplainable fire, that made her cheeks burn and her throat close up. The awkward self-consciousness returned with a vengeance.

"Ah, there you are!" nodded Issei, weaving through the shocked students towards her. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Issei," she croaked, her lips feeling very dry. "What are you... Why are you..."

Akeno stood up smoothly. "I don't believe we've been introduced," she smiled, laughing on the inside. "My name is Akeno Himejima."

"Issei." said Issei, shaking her hand politely. "Now, Rias, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Her voice cracked slightly. She wanted to talk to him somewhere private, but knew the rumors would be ten times worse if she did.

"Well, I was sleeping in the shopping district yesterday when-" The classroom door slammed open.

"Guys!" shouted a boy whose name she couldn't place. "Did you catch the news last night? A homeless guy took out six armed thugs robbing a jewelry store with his bare hands!" Everyone looked at Issei.

"Right," he nodded. "Well, looks like I don't have to explain about that then." Everyone but Rias (who was still in shock) began to murmur furiously. "The guy who owned the store was pretty grateful, so he told me I could have any one thing from his shop free of charge. I was going to sell it to a fence, when I realized..." A pause. "I don't know any fence."

Rias blinked slowly. She was starting to get ahold of herself. "But what does that have to do with me, Issei?"

He reached inside his coat, which apparently had inside pockets, and pulled out a small, oblong box. It was wrapped in white packaging and a red ribbon. "Here," he said gruffly. "I don't need it."

She took the package and started to stare at it stupidly. Her cheeks vaguely felt like they were about to catch fire.

"That was all I came here for," grunted Issei. "So I think I'll just leave." He leaned towards her, and her cheeks turned even redder. "Your classmates' staring is seriously creeping me out!"

Of course, the whole room heard him.

As he approached the door, the school guidance counselor stepped through to block the way. He was a tall, leathery and heavily muscled man wearing a dark leather jacket with jeans, and the hilt of an intimidating black handgun poked out of his jacket. "The hell?" he barked coarsely. "What's a tramp doing on school grounds?"

"Sorry, sir," said Issei politely. "I was just leaving."

As he tried to move around him, a gun barrel blocked his way. "Now see here," said the counselor, who obviously had more testosterone than sense. "People like you don't deserve to be walking around a nice school like this. Why're you here, anyway? Filthy scum like you, walking around like they own the place - makes me _sick__,_ I tell you! Beggars should stay on the streets where they belo-"

There was a flicker of movement. Quickly and gracefully, Issei had raised his hand and inserted his thumb behind the gun's trigger, smoothly barring him from firing it. "Never call me that," said Issei softly. "I am no beggar." The counselor released his weapon and staggered back. Issei calmly pocketed the deadly firearm, then stepped coldly from the room. Rias stared after him for a few moments, then quietly opened the box.

A slim gold chain held the tiny charm in place, and felt strangely silky as it ran between her fingers. The charm was a sliver of red, a gem she didn't recognize that caught the afternoon light in just the right way. A pair of tiny gold wings wrapped around it in a loving embrace, whilst a second pair was spread boldly behind it. For a moment she she held it up, imagining the red gem was her and the embracing wings were Issei...

...when a low gasp reminded her she was not alone. She stuffed the necklace back in its box, put the box in her desk, sat down and stared resolutely out the window until the teacher arrived.

_Elsewhere__..._

"Fuckin' prick." Issei snarled to himself, storming furiously down the street. "Callin' me a fuckin' beggar. The fuck he think he is? Fucker's lucky I'm so fuckin' laid back. If this were back in the day I'd've cut his hands off and burned his house."

"**Really****?"** said Judas, who was actually starting to get a little intimidated. **"****Don****'****t ****you ****think ****that****'****s ****a ****little ****harsh ****for ****calling ****you ****a****... ****for ****calling ****you ****a ****name****?"**

"Not really," grunted Issei, still trying to calm himself down. "It's a fairly common punishment on the streets. You cut off one or both hands, stuff 'em in a freezer bag and forget about them. That way they can be reattached once you're feeling more forgiving."

Sometimes, Judas forgot how much of a bastard Issei could be. He was good with kids, fought crime and had a strong sense of justice. But after he ditched the Triads he left a bloody legend in his wake. He was kind, gentle, friendly and a ruthless, cold-blooded monster.

Actually, when he put it like that, Judas realized how similar the two of them really were.

"**Well****, ****you ****don****'****t ****own ****a ****freezer****, ****so ****why ****don****'****t ****we ****go ****rob ****an ****ice ****cream ****cart ****or ****something ****and ****forget ****all ****about ****it****?"**

"Ice cream... sounds good." nodded Issei, knowing he would feel better afterwards. Following that irritating tune we are all familiar with, they had soon tracked down an ice cream van parked near a preserved, grassy area. A small child was screaming at his mother for a scoop, and as the owner was preoccupied Issei snuck in the back.

Of course, it was right in the middle of his impromptu larceny that Judas screamed in his ear as loudly as he could, **"****I ****SCREEEEEEAM ****FOR ****ICE ****CREEEEEAM****!"**

Issei straightened in surprise, cursing loudly as his head thumped against the ceiling. It was only his superhuman reflexes that let him escape before he was seen, taking a single Magnum Classic with him as he went.

"You asshole!" snarled Issei, once more storming down the street. "You planned that!"

"**Buhahahaha****!"**

"Dickhead!" Issei grouchily tore the wrapper off his Magnum, then carefully disposed of it in a trashcan. He raised the chocolaty treat to his lips-

-then dropped it, dashing forward in a panic.

Issei had been walking towards the rougher part of town (where the fight club and the finger scars could be found) and had been intending on asking Segawa if he had managed to pay back his debt. He found his answer when the man in question staggered out of an alley, blood leaking from his mouth and nose and his right eye swollen shut. He was limping and holding his ribs, and more blood stained his shirt and pants. Segawa straightened as he saw his friend, but his leg gave out under the pressure. Issei just barely caught him.

"Yuuta!" hissed Issei, carefully laying him on the ground. "What happened!"

"Issei," sobbed Segawa. "The money you gave me... It's all gone..." His eyes began to tear up with disappointment, guilt and self-loathing. Issei knew it was because he was a poor fighter. As though not wanting to hurt people made you less of a man. "I'm so sorry..."

"There there," hushed Issei, as Judas only watched in the background. "Just calm down."

"I was going to the casino to pay off my debt, but some people jumped me and took the money." Tears of shame poured from his eyes once more, and Issei cursed inwardly. Yuuta didn't deserve this. "All of it. It's all gone-"

"How did they know, Yuuta!" hissed Issei urgently. "How did they know you had the money!"

"I met my loan shark on the way there," gasped Segawa. "He wanted me to sell my body parts, but I told him I already had the money."

"Then he's probably the one behind this," said Issei darkly. "Tell me his name, Segawa."

"Xin Yi," croaked Segawa. "From the Long Cheng Gang."

"I'll go ask him," smiled Issei coldly. "And if he's behind it, I'll cut off both his hands."

"No, you've helped me enough. I'll pay my debt somehow." grunted Yuuta, struggling to his feet. "The Long Cheng Gang controls the whole area. If you cross them..."

Xin Yi was the treasurer; an important figure in the gang. All the gang's sources of income - drugs, prostitution, extortion - everything was checked by Xin Yi. Even if the head of the gang needed money, he'd have to go through Xin Yi. As such, Xin Yi was highly influential within the gang.

"I don't care." snarled Issei. "I hate people who prey on the weak. I'll end him."

And Judas...

"**Oathbreaker****!"** came the unearthly growl. **"****Rip ****his ****legs ****off ****and ****fuck****'****m ****with**** '****em****."**

_Elsewhere__..._

"While I admit I'm surprised at your taste in men," said Kiba nonchalantly. "I'm happy for you, Buchou. I was starting to think that no man would ever live up to your standards."

Rias suddenly tripped over herself, then glared over her shoulder at Akeno. "Dammit, how many people did you tell!"

"Everyone!" grinned Akeno. They were walking around in an unused building on the edge of town. Apparently, a stray devil had been luring humans inside to feed.

"...Did he really propose to you in the middle of class?" asked Koneko curiously. A tiny smile crept over her face as Rias turn pink.

"He did not!" she snapped. "He just gave me a necklace is all."

"You mean the one you're wearing right now?" wondered Kiba. She was, indeed, wearing Issei's gift.

"S-so what?" Rias stuttered, clutching the beautiful ornament to her chest. "It's really nice!"

"I doubt she'll ever take it off," smirked Akeno.

"...Pretty." agreed Koneko.

"I _will __so_ take it off!" barked Rias. "It's not like I'm wearing it just because it was him who gave it too me."

"Just curious," said Kiba. "But was that a tsundere?"

"It wasn't, no." smiled Akeno, noting with pleasure that Rias was close to blowing her top. "A tsundere is when you're dishonest about your feelings specifically to the person you like. When they're actually together she's as dere-dere as they come. Seriously, they're just so cute together-"

"Akeno stop!" shouted Rias, stomping her foot angrily.

"You should bring him to the clubroom sometime," continued Kiba recklessly. "I would like to see what sort of man my master has chosen."

"...Bring the boyfriend to meet the folks." nodded Koneko quietly.

"That's it!" shouted Rias, finally losing patience and whirling on her amused servants. "The next time anyone brings up Issei or anything about him you're all on flyer duty for a year! Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly." smiled Akeno insincerely.

"Crystal." nodded Kiba.

"...Pity." murmured Koneko, who was genuinely interested.

Without warning, a still-bleeding human torso flopped onto the ground nearby. "Visitorsss," hissed a sibilant new voice. "Sssuch pretty red hair. Sssoon your body ssshall be ssstained the sssame color." A massive figure stepped from the darkness. From the waist up it looked like a voluptuous, nude female, while from the waist down her body became the neck of a huge, quadrupedal monster. The beast half was vaguely feline, with thick black fur, sharp claws and a serpentine tail.

Rias didn't even introduce herself. She just raised her hand, calling forth a huge red magic circle in the air over head. Without fanfare, dozens of orbs of Power of Destruction poured from its center like machine gun bullets. Though the devil was obliterated in the first few seconds the onslaught continued for several minutes, giving Rias some much needed stress relief. When she finally tired herself out, Rias turned to view her servants' reactions.

Kiba looked intimidated, Koneko had no reaction she could see and Akeno had openly started laughing, though whether it was at her master's embarrassment or sadism wasn't certain.

"Let's get the hell out of here," she snapped.

_Elsewhere__..._

The air of the casino was foggy with sweat and cigarette smoke. Numerous men and women dressed in dirty clothing crowded around the various cramped tables, shouting and laughing coarsely as they tried their luck at the various games and challenges on offer. Those not used to it would describe it as a den of sin. Those who were used to it would call it a simple recreational center.

"Issei, let's leave." said Segawa nervously, trailing behind the glowering hobo. Against all suggestions to the contrary, he had decided to see the situation through rather than get his injuries fixed.

"Keep walking." Issei was forced to disobey his own command as three men stood in their way. Four more moved to surround them as a particularly muscular individual (their apparent leader) began to speak.

"Hey buddy," he grunted, trying to look intimidating. "Did Segawa get his money from you?"

"I'm here for Xin Yi," said Issei shortly. "Tell him to get over here."

"Who do you think you are?" said a blonde man with a nasally voice. "You think our boss is free to meet scum like you?" Abruptly, the blonde noticed Segawa hovering timidly behind Issei's back. "Ah, Segawa. You here to pay your debt? Where's the money?"

"Didn't you rob it from him already?" snarled Issei, and the blonde immediately got up in his face.

"What did you just say?" he blustered, poking his finger into the filthy man's chest. "Do you want me to kick you out?"

"**Threats ****count ****as ****hostile ****behavior,"** said Judas helpfully. **"****So ****it****'****s ****cool ****if ****you ****punch ****him****."**

Issei deliberately slowed the punch down, just so his friends could see as he hit the punk in the face. "Anyone else feeling tough enough?" he said coldly, as the thug landed senseless on a blackjack table that quickly buckled under his weight.

"You have guts to start something here!" roared the leader, aiming a straight punch at Issei's face. He caught the blow with his left hand, then casually twisted. The thug screamed as his bones snapped and one of his friends made to help. Without releasing the first man's fist, Issei lunged and kicked him in the gut.

By this point, the entire room had noticed what was going on. Xin Yi's men (along with a good number of patrons) were coming forward to help. Many of them had weapons such as machetes, metal pipes and bar stools. "Kill him!" someone shouted.

"That phrase again." sighed Issei, motioning for Segawa to stay back. "I hate it."

"**Well****, ****it ****loooves ****you****."**

_Upstairs__..._

"Sir," said Xin Yi's bodyguard, a typical mook with a black suit and sunglasses. "There's a disruption downstairs. Should I take a look?"

"Meh, not my problem." came the reply, the clinking of an expensive abacus filling the room. After a few moments the sound stopped, and the office's owner leaned his elbow on his desk. Heaps of documents and ledgers covered its surface, seemingly without organisation. "These accounts just don't add up." came a frustrated sigh.

The door burst from its hinges. A full grown man was thrown across the room, sliding over the desk and scattering its contents across the floor. Two men (one injured, one filthy) stepped into the room. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" barked the bodyguard, moving protectively in front of his superior. "This is the Long Cheng Gang, you sunnuva-"

"Wait," said Xin Yi, slowly rising from his chair. "Let's ask him why he attacked our men first."

Xin Yi was a pale, slender young man of Chinese descent. He was in his mid-twenties and had bishounen good looks, with dark eyes and dyed, pixie styled blonde hair. He was wearing slim jeans with a black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Over it he was wearing a blue waistcoat. Both the shirt and the coat had been modified to expose his pectorals. Weak and surrounded by books, he looked like the average company worker. If he hadn't been sitting in the treasury, Issei would never have believed he was looking at the right hand of the Long Cheng Gang.

"Are you Xin Yi." asked Issei.

"**Drum ****rol****l ****please****."** drawled Judas sarcastically.

"An answer is a promise, and a word is a thousand gold." responded Xin Yi, lighting a cigar with a golden lighter. "I'm about credit and the whole city knows it."

"Credit?" growled Issei. "First you rob my friend and then you still want him to repay his debt. Is this your so called credit?"

Xin Yi took a slow puff on his cigar and met his burning eyes without fear. "I'm sorry, but could you tell me the whole story?"

Gritting his teeth, Issei reluctantly told him Segawa's piece. "The Long Cheng Gang is robbing its clients. It's dishonorable, and pathetic."

"**Why ****are ****you ****even ****discussing ****this****? ****Just ****kill ****him ****and ****everyone ****else ****in ****the ****building****."**

"To me, this seems simple," shrugged Xin Yi. "If our side really is at fault, then we'll pay you back."

"And Segawa's debt?"

"Will remain, until the matter is cleared."

"Bullshit!" snarled Issei. "You let your gang do whatever they like, but still have the nerve to claim credit."

Xin Yi remained calm, but his courtesy turned ice cold. "You break into my territory, attack my men and speak as my equal. You do realize that a word from me is all it'll take to make you disappear forever."

"You trying to scare me?" returned Issei, and Xin Yi clearly saw that he hadn't.

"**I ****like ****this ****guy****. ****He's ****got ****chutzpah****."**

"I don't know what happened," sighed Xin Yi, hoping to calm everyone down. "But until I get to the bottom of this, you won't cause anymore trouble."

Issei brought his hand down hard on the desk. "You expect me to believe you?"

"I don't know what happened." repeated Xin Yi, holding his gaze steadily. "If you don't believe me then go ahead and try something."

Neither of them had any intention of backing down. The room was silent, the mood was frozen and tensions rising, until...

"I injured those people." said Issei suddenly. "Don't blame it on him. If you want revenge, it's me you should come after. I'll take the blame for all damages. Now we owe your gang nothing."

"**You****'****re ****backing ****down****? ****Now****?"**

"I'm impressed." smiled Xin Yi. "But there will be a bill for the injured, _and_ Segawa's debt is due today." He leaned forward. "I'll let you go for now, but once I find out what happened I _will_ settle this with you."

"**That ****Xin ****Yi ****had ****a ****pretty ****nice ****temper****."** said Judas, after they'd left. **"****You ****beat ****up ****all ****those ****guys ****and ****he ****just ****let ****you ****walk ****away****."**

"Issei," murmured Segawa, his limp less pronounced now that he wasn't focusing on it. "I'm a bad friend."

"Don't say that," said Issei gruffly. "It was partly my fault as well."

"But this all happened because of me..." Segawa eyed his grimy friend out of the corner of his eye. "Why did you back off back there. It didn't seem like you."

"I could tell from his eyes." grunted Issei. "His men tried to stop us when we talked about getting robbed, but Xin Yi was different. He listened, staring me straight in the eye. Unless he's really skilled, he couldn't have fooled me. Most likely, he really didn't know what his underlings were doing."

Judas was silent, as he had figured out what Issei was planning to do.

"We'll have to pay him double," groaned Segawa, rubbing tiredly between his eyes. "For the injuries _and_ my debt."

"Go home and take a shower. By the time you're done, I'll have this settled."

Segawa blinked slowly. "How?"

Issei had his hands behind his head, and was twisting his waist from side to side as though warming up for some strenuous exercise. "Just go relax. Trust me."

As Issei slowly walked away, it would have been far less awesome if Segawa could hear Judas chanting **"****Fight ****club****! ****Fight ****club****!"** in the background.

_Meanwhile__, __at __Kuou __Academy__..._

"Guys," said Rias, after they'd all gotten back from the devil hunt. "Tonight we're going to have a new client. Upon consideration, it's been decided that Koneko will answer his initial summons."

"...Who is he?"

"He has three nieces that have been living with him since their parents disappeared." explained Rias. "Though whether or not you'll be interacting with any of them is uncertain. The summoner's name is Yuuta Segawa."

_Elsewhere__..._

"Asia, this is Freed Zelzan." said Reinare, gesturing to a white haired young man wearing an exorcist's uniform. "He'll be your partner from now on."

"Hiya Asia-chan!" said Freed cheerfully. "Let's be bestest friends!"

"Er, yes," said Asia, who always loved to make friends. "Let's get along."

"Your first mission is tonight," said Donnasiege, taking over the debriefing. "Your target is a devil summoner."

"A devil summoner!" gasped Asia. "Are you sure I can handle someone so awful?"

"Mah, mah, Asia-chan," chuckled Freed. "I'll be doing all the dirty work, don't you worry."

"The target's name," continued Donnasiege, annoyed at being interrupted. "Is Yuuta Segawa."


End file.
